Dave Canales had his back against the wall heading into Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, not for the first time during his stint with the Carolina Panthers so far. The head coach demanded a response from his players, and his unwavering belief was finally rewarded.
The Panthers trounced Atlanta. They were quick out of the blocks, completely overwhelming their NFC South rivals through a well-rounded performance that was a far cry from anything fans have been forced to watch this season. Canales always thought his team had something like this in them. And for once, they showcased it when things mattered more.
The relief on Canales' face couldn't have been more evident after the game. It took a lot out of him, even though the result was a foregone conclusion from a long way out. He was also quick to put the spotlight on his squad for a remarkable turnaround to shut out Atlanta in their home opener.
Dave Canales hails Carolina Panthers' locker room culture after morale-boosting win
All Canales wanted to see was improved execution. That's something he preaches constantly, so it was great to see that finally come to fruition. However, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator also lauded the locker room atmosphere, which centers on everyone pushing each other to be better.
"I expect execution, it'll give us a chance to win, and so when the guys do that, I just feel a sense of peace and support from them. I've got to give all our players all the credit. This is a group where I stopped talking to them before we come out of the tunnels, like this is your team, what do you want to say to each other? And they're doing such a great job of challenging each other the right way, and there was a focus about the group this week. And this has been a really focused group, but for them to take the challenges, I'm just really proud of this week."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
Canales deserves credit. He's never lost faith. That was the case during last season's struggles, too, which provided a sense of calm and enthusiasm amid the chaos. It gives the players confidence, and they want to do everything possible to get this organization trending in the right direction.
This result proves that the Panthers can hang with anybody if everyone meets expectations. That hasn't happened frequently enough since David Tepper bought the franchise, but there remains some untapped potential based on this showing.
If this can give the Panthers a spark the rest of the way, they'll be more competitive. But win, lose, or draw, Canales will be unflappable. He'll be a beacon of positivity, bouncing around the practice field and doing his best to keep standards high.
That won't change. And it looks like the light might be coming on after a turbulent start.